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IAPMO to Serve as Building Innovation 2018 Technical Programs Sponsor
With planning underway for Building Innovation 2018: The National Institute of Building Sciences Sixth Annual Conference and Expo, the Institute welcomes the International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO) as the returning Technical Programs Sponsor. This is the third straight year that IAPMO has taken the role.
EPA awards Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality $850k grant to protect water quality
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded $849,601 to the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality (WDEQ) to help protect human health and the environment through a Nonpoint Source Program Clean Water Act Section 319 grant. This grant is given to states to implement environmental programs that address nonpoint source pollution in surface and ground water in order to meet and maintain water quality standards.
New Home Sales Rise 2.9 Percent in May
Sales of newly built, single-family homes in May rose 2.9 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 610,000 units after an upwardly revised April reading, according to newly released data by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Census Bureau.
HUD AND CENSUS BUREAU REPORT NEW RESIDENTIAL SALES IN MAY 2017
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the U.S. Census Bureau today jointly announced the following new residential sales statistics for May 2017
Bob Goldberg Named CEO of National Association of Realtors®
Bob Goldberg has been named CEO of the National Association of Realtors®. Goldberg currently serves as NAR senior vice president of Sales & Marketing, Business Development & Strategic Investments, Professional Development and Conventions for NAR.
Statement by National Low Income Housing Coalition President and CEO Diane Yentel on the...
The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) published the official amounts of national Housing Trust Fund (HTF) funding to states for 2017 in the Federal Register today, June 23. This year, HUD will allocate over $219 million to provide housing for extremely low income (ELI) households, those with incomes at or below 30% of the area median income, or at or less than the federal poverty guideline.
BOMA INTERNATIONAL ELECTS 2017-2018 OFFICERS
The Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) International elected its 2017-2018 officers at the 2017 BOMA International Conference & Expo in Nashville.
Mayor Bowser to Break Ground, Cut Ribbon On More Than 100 Affordable Housing Units
On Friday, June 23, Mayor Muriel Bowser will break ground on a newly renovated 19-unit affordable housing apartment building at 4000 Kansas Avenue, NW, in Ward 4. The Mayor will also celebrate the renovation of the historic Phyllis Wheatley YWCA in Ward 6, a modernized facility with 84 units of affordable housing for households at or below 30 percent of the area median income (AMI).
Norton Releases Letters from Public Water Utilities Opposing D.C. Wipes Rider, Citing Significant Harms...
Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) today released letters from the National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA), which represents water utilities across the country, and DC Water expressing their strong opposition to efforts to block the District of Columbia’s new law regulating the labeling of personal hygiene products, particularly wet wipes, as safe to flush.
Cantwell, Colleagues To Trump: Act On Russian Cyber Intrusions To U.S. Energy Infrastructure
Ranking Member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) and Senate Colleagues sent a letter to President Trump urging the Department of Energy to conduct an analysis of Russian capabilities with respect to cyber attacks on U.S. energy infrastructure.
BOMA 360 PERFORMANCE PROGRAM WELCOMES SECOND QUARTER DESIGNEES
The Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) International conferred the BOMA 360 Performance Program® designation upon properties across the U.S. in the second quarter, with a particularly strong showing in the Atlanta and Boston markets.
EPA Proposes Further Cleanup of Lead-Contaminated Residential Properties in West Deptford, N.J.
he U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has proposed an expansion in a cleanup plan to continue removing lead-contaminated soil from a residential development previously owned and built by the Tempo Development Group in West Deptford, (Thorofare), N.J. EPA added the Tempo development to the Matteo & Sons, Inc. Superfund site in October of 2016 after finding that residential properties on nearby Birchly Court, Woodlane Drive, Oakmont Court and Crown Point Road were impacted by lead contamination from the disposal of crushed battery casings.
International Code Council to Be Top Sponsor for Building Innovation 2018
The International Code Council (ICC) has renewed its commitment to serve as the Conference Sponsor for Building Innovation 2018: The National Institute of Building Sciences Sixth Annual Conference and Expo. To be held January 8-11, 2018, at the Mandarin Oriental in Washington, D.C., Building Innovation 2018 will unite representatives from across the industry to discuss strategies and seek solutions to Sustain, Strengthen, Secure.
EPA Provides Environmental Programs in N.Y. with $5.7 Million to Improve Water Quality
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency awarded the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation a Performance Partnership grant of $5.7 million to administer water quality programs.
Rep. LaHood Introduces “Community Reclaimers” Bill to Expedite Abandoned Mine Land Cleanup
Rep. Darin LaHood (R-IL) introduced H.R. 2937, the “Community Reclamation Partnerships Act.” This bill authorizes partnerships between states and non-governmental entities for the purposes of expanding abandoned mine reclamation projects.
House Passes Bipartisan Bill to Improve Electricity Reliability and Vegetation Management
The House passed H.R. 1873, the “Electricity Reliability and Forest Protection Act,” by a bipartisan vote of 300-118. Introduced by Reps. Doug LaMalfa (R-CA) and Kurt Schrader (D-OR), the bipartisan bill provides streamlined processes for the removal of hazardous vegetative overgrowth within or adjacent to electricity infrastructure on federal lands.
House Passes “One Stop-Shop” Permitting Bill to Expand Water Storage Infrastructure
The House passed H.R. 1654, the “Water Supply Permitting Coordination Act,” by a bipartisan vote of 233-180. Introduced by Rep. Tom McClintock (R-CA), the bill creates a “one-stop-shop” permitting process through the Bureau of Reclamation for new or expanded surface storage facilities. It streamlines agency permit requirements that sometimes impose unnecessary costs and burdens on entities seeking to construct new water storage infrastructure.
New Hanover County Planning and Land Use Director Announces Retirement
Chris O’Keefe, who has been New Hanover County’s Planning Director for 11 years and a valuable county employee for 27 years, will be retiring at the end of July. “This is a big loss for the county,” said County Manager Chris Coudriet. “Chris O’Keefe has been an effective voice in our community for responsible development, planning for connectivity, and environmental stewardship. His knowledge and expertise will be missed, but this is an excellent opportunity for Chris and his career.”
Mortgage Applications Increase in Latest MBA Weekly Survey
Mortgage applications increased 0.6 percent from one week earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association's (MBA) Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending June 16, 2017
Nine out of 10 Americans and Canadians call for affordable housing solutions
A majority of Americans and Canadians have made it clear: we are not paying enough attention to affordable housing needs and solutions, according to Habitat for Humanity’s Affordable Housing Survey. With critical housing shortages across both countries, cost remains a top barrier preventing families from accessing decent homes with an affordable mortgage
DOL-VETS Announces $43.3 Million in HVRP Grant Awards
Today, the Department of Labor announced the award of $43.3 million in Homeless Veterans' Reintegration Program grants. The grants will help an estimated 21,000 veterans successfully reintegrate into the competitive workforce. The grants will fund a variety of services to assist homeless veterans in their return to the labor force including occupational, classroom, and on-the-job training, as well as job search and placement assistance.
Readout of President Donald J. Trump’s Meeting with Cybersecurity and Energy Sector Representatives
President Donald J. Trump met with Mayor Rudy Giuliani, General Keith Alexander, Thomas P. Bossert, and energy sector leaders today to address energy sector resilience and cybersecurity. President Trump thanked the participants in the meeting for their efforts and underscored the importance of a continuing public and private partnership to effectively combat threats against the energy sector, particularly the power grid. In the meeting, the leaders discussed unique challenges the sector faces and strategic initiatives, both underway and proposed, to address the evolution of malicious cyber activity.
Middleman Pleads Guilty in Foreign Bribery and Fraud Scheme Involving Potential $800 Million International...
Defendant Double-Crossed His Clients and Stole a $500,000 Bribe Intended to Influence a South Korean Company’s Sale of the Landmark 72 Building in Hanoi, Vietnam. The middleman in a foreign bribery scheme pleaded guilty today to wire fraud and money laundering charges for his role in a scheme to bribe a foreign official in the Middle East to land a real estate deal, and to defrauding his co-schemers.
Committee Completes Markup of Bills to Reauthorize and Reform National Flood Insurance Program
The House Financial Services Committee met today to complete deliberation of and pass several measures to reform and reauthorize the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), which is set to expire on September, 30, 2017.
Realtors® Highlight Flood Insurance Concerns as House Committee Finalizes Key Markup
The House Financial Services Committee today concluded a markup (link is external) on multiple pieces of legislation to reauthorize and reform the National Flood Insurance Program. Following is a statement from National Association of Realtors ® President William E. Brown
Existing-Home Sales Rise 1.1 Percent in May; Median Sales Price Ascends to New High
Existing-home sales rebounded in May following a notable decline in April, and low inventory levels helped propel the median sales price to a new high while pushing down the median days a home is on the market to a new low, according to the National Association of Realtors®. All major regions except for the Midwest saw an increase in sales last month.
DHCD Extends Comment Period to July 14th for Draft Guidelines for Calculating 40B General...
The Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) has extended the deadline for submitting comments on Draft Guidelines(link is external) for calculating the 40B general land area minimum until July 14, 2017.
U.S. Renewable Energy Groups Share a Vision of the 21st Century Power Grid
Eight national business groups representing the diverse spectrum of renewable energy technologies (wind, solar, geothermal, biomass, hydro, biogas and waste-to-energy) today released a first-of-its-kind joint statement outlining a positive vision for the future of America’s power grid.
MBA Statement Regarding FHFA’s Annual Report to Congress
David H. Stevens, CMB, President & CEO of the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA), released a statement following the Federal Housing Finance Agency's (FHFA) annual report to Congress. "We strongly support a number of the recommendations made in this report, including the need for comprehensive housing finance reform as well as measures to reduce barriers to investor participation in credit risk transfers. Both of these recommendations would facilitate liquidity in the secondary markets, which ultimately benefits borrowers, lenders, and investors
HUD REPORT CALLS FOR GREATER ACTION TO REDUCE INJURIES TO SENIORS IN THE HOME
Approximately one-third of adults age 65 years or older fall in their home, resulting in injury, long-term disability and premature institutionalization. By 2020, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates the cost related to these kinds of injuries to be nearly $60 billion a year. In an effort to reduce and prevent falls and their associated costs, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) today released a wide-ranging report recommending a more holistic approach to seniors aging-in-place and their health needs
